2 minute readIf you watched the final overs of England’s feat of escapology against South Africa, you already know why Test cricket can never die. We’ve said it before and we’ll happily say it again. Test cricket can offer something that no other sport can. It offers more than any other form
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Ian Ronald Bell is an actual hero
< 1 minute readIn the words of Alan Partridge: “Jurassic Park!” How can we explain what has happened today? Ignore the dismissal near the end, Ian Bell did the job. This was not expected by anyone. Imagine you’ve got a wooden spoon. This wooden spoon can somehow create dazzling pyrotechnic displays that light
Continue readingEngland’s close Test matches in the last 12 months
< 1 minute readSt John’s, Antigua – West Indies finish nine wickets down Port of Spain – West Indies finish eight wickets down Cardiff – England finish nine wickets down against Australia Centurion – England finish nine wickets down against South Africa Cape Town – England finish nine wickets down against South Africa
Continue readingSamit Patel looks to Darren Lehmann for help
< 1 minute readEveryone needs a role model and with Samit Patel’s weight issues, who better to turn to than Mark Cosgrove‘s mentor. Samit Patel is heading to Darren Lehmann’s cricket academy in a bid to get in shape for next season. Other places Samit considered suitable: Bed The settee A bakery
Continue readingAlastair Cook – treat us to an innings of rare beauty
2 minute readIt’s hard to pay attention on days like yesterday. You drift off, but every time you look up, you think: ‘Jesus, how did that happen?’ Look on the bright side though. It’s only very occasionally that a match situation calls for one of cricket’s finest sights: the innings of no
Continue readingIan Bell’s ball-hitfulness
< 1 minute readWe’re not interested in how Ian Bell’s faring in Test cricket any more. All we’re hoping is that the soap opera continues. The Ian Bell situation has gone way beyond cricket now. We’re interested for sociological and psychological reasons. Will it finish with a lynch mob? Will it ever finish
Continue readingAbout even for the Taylors
< 1 minute readYesterday, we were presented with the following two headlines via our RSS feeds: Taylor delighted by ‘special’ MBE and Taylor charged after bar scuffle Slightly disappointingly, Claire Taylor didn’t celebrate her MBE by going on an all-dayer that culminated in a drunken argument with bar staff because they wouldn’t give
Continue readingAs a spin bowler, Graeme Swann is England’s most important player
< 1 minute readHopefully no-one’s told him yet and hopefully he never realises, but England’s performance hinges on how well Graeme Swann plays. Obviously, taking nine wickets for not a lot had a huge impact on how England won this Test, but nowadays Swann HAS to perform. That’s not because England’s other bowlers
Continue readingShane Watson and Ian Bell and what they have in common
< 1 minute readWe wrote about Shane Watson and Ian Bell over at The Wisden Cricketer. We said that they weren’t hugely popular in their respective countries, perhaps because they were overly serious. We also said that Shane Watson couldn’t bowl. Shortly after the post went up, both Bell and Watson scored hundreds
Continue readingHow England win Test matches
< 1 minute readBasically, through ambush. They plod along, being solid and unspectacular and then in one innings in the field, they completely steamroller the opposition. Think of England’s wins since Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss took over. West Indies were rolled for 152 at Lord’s; the same opponents were dispatched for 176
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